Ruairi does ‘trick’ as Northend U-13s progress in NIBFA Cup

Elsewhere in the Lisburn league, the U14s lost on their travels to Championship side Annagh United.

In the National League, the U17s entertained Cookstown Youth to the Showgrounds on Friday night and won by a 1-0 scoreline with Stephen Hare getting the all important goal. The U15s had a home game against Coleraine YA and stormed to an early two goal lead before eventually losing 6-2 in a below par final fifteen minutes.

In the North West and Coleraine District League, the U11 s and U12s continue to have no game due to the school Transfer tests while the U9s match was cancelled due to sickness in the Northend camp.

Both of Ally McGarry’s U8 teams were in action on Saturday with one team losing to Roe Valley and the other team beating Dungiven Celtic. The U10 United team continue to impress whilst not always getting what they deserve out of a game, with Ballymoney United the winners in a tight game.

Finally on Friday night, the Club’s Football Development Centre continued at its indoor venue at the Ballymena North Centre with over thirty boys and girls enjoying their first steps in football, under the direction of Northend’s Football Development Officer, John Devlin

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Northend United 2, Roe Valley 5: The young Northend side found themselves 4-1 down at half time, the goal coming from a great strike from Callum Burnside.

The second half was much better and the side made it 4-2 with Conan McKeown scoring direct from a corner. This seemed to spur on a very strong Roe Valley and they went up the field to score a 5th. MOM - Paddy Murphy, Alex McPeake.

Northend: P Murphy, A McPeake, J Mark, C Burnside, P McAuley, C Hendron, C McKeown.

Northend Youth 11, Dungiven Celtic Colts 2: All Northend’s outfield players got on the score sheet with goals from Daniel Patterson (5), PP Donegan, Callum Hendron, Lewis Devlin, Conlon Lyness, Kevin McAlister, Sean McDermott. MOM - Daniel Patterson.

Northend: A Spurgeon, L Devlin, K McAlister, C Lyness, PP Donegan, S McDermott, D Patterson, C Hendron, C Burnside.

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Ballymoney United 5, Northend United 1: Despite the final score-line, this was a fabulous display by Northend against a very talented Ballymoney side.

A defensive lapse on seven minutes allowed Ballymoney to edge ahead, however Northend’s response was immediate when Peter Bristow won the ball in midfield before beating a defender and firing a low drive into the goal.

Ballymoney edged ahead a few minutes later when a chipped through ball caught Northend’s defence square and their striker gave Niall Devine no little chance with a clinical finish.

The killer blow came just before half-time when Ballymoney took full advantage of two half chances to go 4-1 ahead against the run of play.

The Wee Blues looked determined to make amends for the disappointing finish to the first half and quickly picked up the pace after the re-start. Each of the boys gave 100% and should be very proud of the effort they displayed. MOM - Peter Bristow.

Northend: N Devine, D Magill, K Cosgrove, C McMillan, J Adams, P Bristow, O Campbell, C Lennon and B O’Neill.

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Berties Little Ants 5, Northend Youth 0: This game was pretty even until Peacock’s got their first goal midway through the first half, when Northend lost their shape and Peacock’s added a few more goals before half time.

Northend made some changes at half time but they were still finding in difficult to hold on to the ball sometimes giving it away to easy. However there was an improvement when closing down Peacock’s play and Northend were now creating more goal scoring opportunities and should have scored at least four times in the last ten minutes but for poor finishing the score line would of been different because Bertie Peacock went on to score more goals. MOM - Keelan Campbell.

Northend: C Wilson, L Hextor, B O’Neill, N Devine, C McKillop, C Martin, B Harkin, S Crawford, K Campbell, J McKeown.

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Northend United 1, Lisburn Distillery 0: Having been beaten 5-2 in their first league match of the season against Lisburn Distillery, Northend were thirsty for revenge, especially when Northend were drawn as the home-side, in this first round NIBFA cup-tie.

Unfortunately, if Northend were going to win this cup-tie, they were going to have to do it the hard way, as they went one nil down inside five minutes.

Northend drew level within five minutes, when a superb through ball from Robert Iovu found Ruairi Campbell, who took two touches then slid the ball, past the Lisburn keeper, into the corner of the net. Northend turned the pressure up from this point, and started to dominate the match, through the midfield duo of Robert Iovu and Niall Craig.

Northend went 2-1 up via Conor McGarry, when he rose highest at a Robert Iovu corner, to head the ball past the Lisburn Distillery goalkeeper. Until half-time, Northend were a joy to watch by playing some great free-flowing football. They had some great opportunities to add to their tally before half-time, but failed to add to their tally.

If Northend were good the first half, they stepped up another level in the second half. Philip Kyle made it 3-1 to Northend seven minutes into the second half, after being the first to pounce onto a Tom Patchett corner. Ruairi Campbell added two more goals for his hat-trick, within nine minutes, to make it 5-1 to Northend.

With the game virtually over, Northend made the remainder of their substitutions, and through no fault of their own, they probably lost their shape slightly, and like all good sides, Lisburn Distillery came back strong, and scored two more goals in the last seven minutes, to make the scoreline more respectable. Final score 5-3

This was a very impressive display from Northend, and throughout the match, their shape was good, they looked strong defensively, plus looked like scoring every time they went forward. Conor McGarry is relishing playing midfield, and is back close to his best. Credit to Lisburn Distillery, who sit third in the Lisburn League, who are a top side and played football throughout, even at 5- 1 down. Probably the most satisfying thing here for the Northend coaches was this was the first time this season they had a full squad to pick from, then brushed aside a very good side, despite ‘resting’ some players for this match. MOM - Ruairi Campbell, Sam Frew.

Northend: C McGarry, S Frew, C McDonald, R McCluney, J Mitchell, N Craig, R Iovu, P Kyle, T Patchett (c), R Campbell, J Brady, T McAuley, S Lecky, M Willighan, C Gordon.

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Wakehurst 1, Cookstown Youth 0: Wakehurst started this National League match much the stronger team with Speirs, Cameron and Hare all prominent in the early exchanges. Indeed Stephen Hare could have given Wakehurst the lead on ten minutes but his shot went narrowly wide of the upright. As Wakehurst piled on the pressure, they won a series of corners and from one of these, Ryan Gault headed the ball narrowly over the bar on eighteen minutes.

At the back Wakehurst looked composed with Swann, McCollum, Brady and McAvoy giving nothing away to the alert Cookstown strikers.

On 25 minutes, Wakehurst won another corner and from a Brady cross, James Cameron could only look on in horror as his first time struck shot went over the crossbar when it was easier to score.

However the breakthrough came on thirty minutes, when following a good Ryan Gault aerial challenge, Stephen Hare saw the keeper off his line and lobbed the ball into the top corner of the net, giving the defender on his goal-line no chance.

Minutes before half time, Northend could have doubled their lead following a good move between Cameron and Hanlon down the Wakehurst right hand side, saw Hanlon pick out Gault in the Cookstown box but his shot hit the side netting.

Into the second half and with Jack Nixon and Cameron Waring on for Gault and McAvoy, it wasn’t long before Nixon soon made his presence felt when he picked up a throughball from James Cameron and his shot called on the Cookstown keeper to pull off a great save.

In a half where the Wakehurst keeper, Aodhan Tolan, was seldom troubled, on fifteen minutes of the half, it was Hare who hit a good shot on the turn, only to see another good save from the Cookstown keeper.

Next it was the turn of Jamie Speirs to trouble the Cookstown keeper, when another good shot was well saved.

The Cookstown man of the match, their goalkeeper was involved in another great piece of goalkeeping when he performed a double save from Hare and Hanlon in quick succession, minutes before the end of the game.

However Cookstown won a free kick twenty yards out with almost the last kick of the game and Wakehurst had to clear their lines before the final whistle was blown.

Northend: A Tolan, R Sloan, A McAvoy, T Brady, K McCollum, N Swann (c), J Hanlon, J Cameron, J Speirs, R Gault, B Etherson, S Hare, R Swan, J Nixon, C Waring

FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

Northend United’s Football Development Centre concludes for a winter break on Friday 22nd November at the Ballymena North Centre from 6.00pm to 7.30pm.

The Football Development centre will resume again on Friday 24th January 2014 for another 8 week program, in a lead up to some development programs beginning in April 13.

For more information, call John Devlin on 07919056834.